{"id":284,"date":"2021-01-26T04:37:15","date_gmt":"2021-01-26T09:37:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.metrotechnical.com\/blog\/?p=284"},"modified":"2026-02-16T13:42:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T18:42:10","slug":"4-ways-to-improve-the-lighting-for-your-next-zoom-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metrotechnical.com\/blog\/4-ways-to-improve-the-lighting-for-your-next-zoom-call\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Ways to Improve the Lighting for Your Next Zoom Call!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"4<\/h3>\n

By: James Hurley
\nGood lighting is the foundation of good video. The correct lighting can make you appear confident and competent while poor lighting can cause you to appear unprepared or unprofessional. Lighting for a virtual meeting or presentation becomes even more important because the human eye and a digital camera do not see light in the same way. In the next few minutes, we will look at a few important lighting factors and how they apply to your virtual meeting or Zoom call.<\/p>\n

4 Ways to Improve Lighting on Video Calls<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Change your light bulbs.<\/li>\n
  2. Turn off lights that do not match.<\/li>\n
  3. If you have a camera that allows you to adjust the color
    \ntemperature, but sure to set it to match the lighting.<\/li>\n
  4. Purchase studio lighting if your budget allows<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Best Light<\/h3>\n

    I am often asked, \u201cWhat is the best light for my Zoom room?\u201d The answer to that question is, \u201cIt depends.\u201d It depends on many factors. Because light is not just light. In this case, we are lighting for video. We won\u2019t discuss lighting \u201chacks\u201d. We are going to talk about lighting principles that apply in the typical virtual meeting. These principles will work the same way every time and give you pro results. The main factors that we will look at include the environment, the light source, light placement, and the color temperature.<\/p>\n

    What is Good Light?<\/h3>\n

    Let\u2019s start our conversation by discussing what is considered good light for a video call. For most of us, a large soft light will be best. The hardness or softness of a light is based on the shadow that is cast by the light source. If a shadow has a hard crisp line, it is considered hard. If the shadow line is undefined then it is considered to be soft.<\/p>\n

    Take a look out your window. Is it cloudy or do you have clear skies? If the sky is clear and the sun is overhead you will see very distinct shadows with well-defined edges. The shadows may be hard to see if the sky is completely overcast. This is because the sunlight is being diffused by the clouds and causes the light to hit a subject from many points. When there are no clouds in
    \nthe sky, the sunlight is direct and strikes a subject from one direction, creating a very distinct shadow.<\/p>\n

    \n

    The larger the light source the softer the light.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n

    Why is this important? The answer is quite simple. Hard light will magnify every blemish on your skin. A soft light will make your skin look smoother and more pleasing. In short, the larger the light source the softer the shadows will be. That is our first principle of light. The larger the light source the softer the light. This principle of light will come into play when we choose the light source we will use for our meeting.<\/p>\n

    Use Natural Light<\/h3>\n

    Let\u2019s first look at natural light and see how we can use it to our advantage.<\/p>\n

    \"use
    Photo by bruce mars<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    The sun is the one light source that everyone has access to. Natural light can be beautiful and is often used by portrait photographers. A large window with indirect sunlight is best. This means the sun is not shining directly through the window. In short, if you can see the sun, the light will not be flattering. It will be harsh. The result is every blemish on a person\u2019s face will be magnified. This is typically not what we want. If you are in the northern hemisphere, a North facing window will always have indirect light.<\/p>\n

    But, even if your window faces the Southern sky, and the sun shines directly through, you are not out of luck. You could consider the time of day, and schedule your meeting when the sun is not shining directly through the window. But, most cannot schedule a virtual meeting based on the position of the sun. In this case, you could add some diffusion to cut and diffuse the light, just like the clouds on an overcast day. Every pro photographer or cinematographer uses diffusion. Diffusion allows us to control the light and shape it to meet our needs. Simple sheer curtains can take direct, bright sunlight and turn it into a large, soft, and flattering light source. It is that simple. If the light is still too bright, add another layer of sheer curtains.<\/p>\n

    Shape the Light<\/h3>\n
    \"Rendering
    With a desk facing the window, you will have beautiful even light across your face.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    When using natural light through a window you will want to make sure that you set up your desk area so that you are facing the windows, or even better positioned at an angle up to 45\u00ba to the window. With your desk set up directly facing the window, the light will be very even across your face. You will look very professional and great on your call.<\/p>\n

    \"Portrait
    Rotate your desk up to a 45\u00ba angle to add depth and dimension.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    If you want to step it up a bit and look a little more cinematic try rotating your desk up to a 45\u00ba angle. Doing this will allow the light to drape across your face. One side will be brighter while the other side will be shadowed a bit more. This will add depth and dimension to your features. Play with this and find the angle that works for you.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Make sure the brightest light is used to light your face.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

    \n

    One mistake I\u2019m sure you have seen is setting up a call with windows in the background. Remember the camera sees light differently than the human eye. It may look beautiful in real life, but the camera will struggle to create a usable image in this case.<\/p>\n

    Most webcams are not able to expose properly with large differences between bright and dark. During the day the light is much more powerful outdoors than it is indoors. The net result is this. The main light is now behind you. The camera must expose to the bright window light. This throws you, the subject into darkness. This is particularly hard for others on the call to watch and makes you look like an amateur.<\/p>\n

    Add a Bounce<\/h3>\n

    If you are having fun and want to take this a step further, you can add some bounce. That is, we are going to bounce some of the light that is shining across your face back into the shadow side.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"Rendering
    Add a white bounce card to direct some of the window light back into the shadow side of your face.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"Rendering
    Here is an example of how I placed the bounce card in this example.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    This is easy to do with a piece of foam core. You can pick this up in the art supply section of Walmart or your favorite art supply store. Prop up the card so that it can bounce the light from the window back into your face. This will gently soften the shadows and fill in your face a bit more.<\/p>\n

    Artificial Light<\/h3>\n

    To this point, we have been talking about using the sun as our light source, but that beautiful, natural light is not always available. Enter artificial light. This could be overhead lights in the ceiling, a lamp, or a more professional studio light. First, I will touch on common lighting that is likely already available to you \u2013 your house lights.<\/p>\n

    Common Lights<\/h3>\n

    Before we begin we need to consider another principle when trying to create good light. The second principle of light we should consider is the angle or direction of the light. For many, the main light in the room is an overhead light that is hung in the center of the room. This provides very even light throughout the area. But, unless you place your desk so you are facing the light your face will fall into darkness.<\/p>\n

    \"Rendering
    With the main light coming from behind, the subject will be thrown into darkness.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    We want your main light to come from in front of you and illuminate your face. To help balance the light and bring focus to you use a desk lamp as the main light source. The overhead light can be used as a secondary light illuminating your space.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Consider the direction and angle of the main light.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

    \n

    A lamp with a nice shade can produce beautiful light. But, remember our first principle of lighting: the larger the lampshade the better the light. Second, use a white lampshade. Using a colored lampshade or one that is off-white or yellow will produce a color cast that will not be flattering. Keep it simple and keep it as large as you can. You can control the brightness by choosing a brighter or dimmer bulb or by moving the lamp closer or farther away from you.<\/p>\n

    Mixed Lighting<\/h3>\n

    Now, let\u2019s consider a common problem that comes from using household lights-mixed lighting. This is the principle of the color of light. Mixed lighting is the result of using different kinds of lights. Incandescent lights look different from CFL or LED. Fluorescent lights can look different as well. We are specifically talking about the color temperature<\/a> of a light source. Color temperature is measured in Kelvin and can tell us what the look and feel of the light will create.<\/p>\n